16 int’l rights bodies concerned over ‘restrictive polls atmosphere’

Sixteen international human rights organisations of 10 countries including Bangkok-based Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) have expressed grave concern over what they said as ‘restrictive electoral environment’ surrounding the 11th general elections in Bangladesh.

“Ever since the election was announced, the government of Bangladesh has embarked upon a crackdown on civil society, the opposition, and the media, undermining any semblance of a democratic process,” they said in a joint statement issued on Saturday, a day before the voting day Sunday.

There were at least 30 attacks on opposition motorcades, and 207 incidents of violence in 159 constituencies betweeen 10 December when the election commission allocated electoral symbols and 26 December, the organisations pointed out referring to media reports.

They added, at least 43 candidates of the opposition coalition Jatiya Oikya Front were attacked, 13 candidates seriously injured, and 17 opposition candidates arrested.

The High Court disqualified BNP candidates in 23 constituencies, the statement pointed out.

And, it added, five persons were killed and 2,682 injured in election-related violence during the period.

“These attacks are meant to instill fear in the minds of voters, and thus undermining the prospects of a level electoral playing field,” the rights bodies argued.

Saying, “Several human rights groups have found a dramatic increase in fictitious cases filed against opponents of the ruling party since the beginning of 2018,” the statement observed that the season of election saw a further rise in fictitious cases filed against the opposition activists.

This trend, the organisations maintained, indicated an absence of level-playing field in the election, when the ruling party had control over state institutions.

The international rights groups regretted that the election observers faced severe restriction in monitoring the election process, a state that has been reflected in the sharp decrease in the number of election monitors.

“It was reported that there were only 34,838 observers who expressed interest to monitor the polls, as of 19 December. A BEC (Bangladesh election commission) official relayed that, of this number, only around 26,000 observers will be granted accreditations,” the statement added.

The number of observers was around 159,000 in 2008 and 218,000 in 2001.

“Such a decrease in the number of election observers indicates a common feeling of discouragement due to a hostile political environment and the presence of hurdles or selective accreditation imposed on the civil society in gaining accreditation,” the rights bodies pointed out.

They expressed apprehensions over an accreptable election, saying, “We express our doubts about the integrity and credibility of the upcoming election, which cannot be considered a free and fair process under any reasonable yardstick.”

Source: Prothom Alo